Minnow-pail.



Patented A r. l0, I900.

C. H. GRAY. MINNUW PAIL.

(Application filed Nov. 18, 1899.)

(No Model.)

miiwwsesm NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. GRAY, OF CELORON, NEIV YORK.

MlNNOW-PAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,257, dated April 10, 1900.

Application filed November 18, 1899. Serial No. 737,405. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Celoron, in the county of Chan tauqua and State of New York, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Minnow-Pails, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pails for keeping live minnows for bait while fishing. It'has been common for some time to aerate the water in such pails by the use of air-pumps outside of the pail and a long pipe running to the bottom of the pail to conduct the air. The objects of my improvement are, first, to insert an air-pump, with a valve at its lower end, directly into the water to aerate it, combining the air-pump and the movable bottom or lift with which the minnowsare raised; second, giving an upward curve to the center 'of the lift andan upturned edge that the minnows may roll down to the edge and be held thereby when the lift is raised above the water to pick out a minnow, and, third, inserting a funnel or hopper with hinged cover in the top to receive minnows when catching bait. I attain these objects as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of my minnowpail at line X Xin Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper side of the lift and pump without the pail. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the top of my pail.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views. I

is the pail, and 11 the bail 12 is a groove run in the metal side of the pail to uphold top 13. Top 13is soldered fast on top of said groove and has lid 14, hinged thereto and which lid is a part of the top, as shown. Ring 15 acts as a handle to lift lid 14, and when snapped under wire rim 10, as shown in Fig. 1, it looks the lid fast.

16 is a funnel to admit the minnows to the water when catching bait.

17 is the hinged cover for the funnel, and

'18 is the wire catch to hold the cover.

19 is a handle on the side of the pail for convenience in handling.

20 is the barrel of the air-pump, made of brass or some non-rusting material and which is fastened to lift 28 and forms ahandle therefor. Barrel 20 is not fastened in top 13, but

works loosely therein, so that the barrel can be raised and lowered with ease.

21 is the piston, which I usually make with a handle which looks under piece 22 on the edge of barrel-top 23, as shown, in order that the handle may be grasped in raising and and lowering lift 28. Barrel-top 23 is screwed onto barrel 20 and has air-hole 33 therein.

24 is a ring-piece into which the lower end of barrel 20 is screwed at 21'. Piece 24 has a seat on its inner side for plate 25, and plate 26 is simply a flat disk between the openings 27 in the bottom of barrel 20 and in plate 25. This arrangement forms'a plate-valve which shuts out the water from barrel 20, yetallows the air to be forced through openings 27-. Piece 24 has holes 30, which allow egress for the air on all sides, and the nearest perforations 31 31 in curved lift 28 are some distance from the pump, which carries the air toward the sides of the pail and gives an even distribution.

Lift 28 curves downward toward the outer rim from the center, and the rim 29 is turned upward, so that the minnows will roll down into and be held in the corner 29 when the lift is raised out of the water, as shown in dotted outline at 28' in Fig. 1, pump 20 extending above the pail, as shown broken off at 20. Lid14c can then be raised, as at 14, and the fisherman-can pick out any minnow in the pail, turning the lift by pump 20 to bring the different parts of the lift under lid 14, after which the minnows can be submerged again, and it will be noticed that they have not been handled or injured in any way. About once in fifteen minutes a few strokes of the pump sends the air out in bubbles 34 34 through holes 30 31 and aerates the water, and the minnows live as well as they would in the running brook. Top 13 and lid 14 have perforations 32 32 for the air. Lift 28 is secured to ring-piece 24, and barrel 20 screws into piece 24 in order that barrel 20 may be removed and lift 28 tipped up and the bottom of the pail cleaned, since it would be impossible to get at the bottom of the pail under the lift if the pump and lift could not be separated.

Hopper 16 forms a quick and easy means for admitting the minnows to the pail, and after one is through catching bait the cover 17 may be snapped down, and the pail can then be laid on its side in the running brook without fear of the minnows getting away. Lift 28 also forms an agitator for the water by working it up and down by means of the pump for a handle.

The insertion of my air-pump in the water in the pail without attaching the lift would make a much better minnow-pail than those now generally in use, since it would [give a sure means of keeping the water well aerated.

I claim as new 1. In a minnow-pail, the combination with the Water-receptacle of an air-pu mp having a valve at its lower end, a lift to raise the minnows attached to the lower end. of said airpump, as shown and described.

2. In a minnow-pail, the combination of the water-receptacle having part of its perforated top in a hinged lid to remove the minnows, a funnel with hinged cover inserted in said perforated top as shown and for the purpose specified.

3. In a minnow-pail, the combination with the water-receptacle of an air-pump having a perforated lift attached thereto, said lift having a downward bend near its outer edge and an upturned edge to hold the minnows, said perforations in said lift being at a distance from its center, as shown and for the purpose specified.

4. In a minnow-pail, the combination with the water-receptacle of a perforated top havingpart in a hinged lid, a funnel with cover inserted in said perforated top, an air-pump having a valve at its lower end working in said perforated top, a lift attached to the pump, as shown and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. GRAY.

In presence of- 1 N. E. THOMAS, I. XV. CARTER. 

